The Biggest Glitch
by ProudDyspraxicWriter
Summary: As Cain and Glitch's relationship blossoms after the events of Snowed In, Glitch finds himself in the oddest situation. Post-series. Cain/Glitch & DG/Raw.
1. Nauseous & Insomniac

The Biggest Glitch

Cain awoke with a smile on his face. His eyes were still clamped shut when he turned over and sighed softly. He outstretched his arm to cage himself around Glitch, but it just flopped down to the mattress. Almost immediately, he forced his eyes open. He kicked the duvet off of him and he sat up. Glitch's side of the bed had been tousled, like he had been tossing and turning all night.

" Glitch?" Cain called out, uncertainly. " You out there? Glitch! Gl-"

Glitch appeared by the door. He looked dreadful. He hung his head with his black, straggly locks covering his face. His black jewelled eyes grew small. The whites were red and looked sore and swollen. His pale complexion was paler than usual. It was clear that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in several days. That was certainly the oddest thing. Glitch was notorious for being dead to the world, and kicking Cain in the back during the night. Smiling somewhat miserably, he grasped the doorframe and leant his body against it.

" You OK? You look terrible!"

Glitch nodded and shuffled over to the bed to sit down. " I must have a bug or something," he decided.

Cain raised his yellow eyebrows in concern. Something was definitely wrong. Glitch was rarely sick. The blue-eyed cowboy scooted his backside along the mattress to sit next to his lover to comfort him. As the good and protective man he was, he wrapped his tree trunk arms around him. Gently, he kissed him on the forehead. Glitch closed his eyes as he cherished this beautiful moment between them. After his uneventful night, he felt so drained, crabby and irritable. He just wanted Cain to take it all away.

" I want you to get back in bed and rest some more. You look exhausted!" Cain ordered.

Whenever he was being forceful like this, Glitch couldn't help but quiver with excitement. It was one of many idiosyncrasies that made him fall in love. " Oh, Cain! I must be delirious if I heard you say that!" He placed a hand to his forehead and pretended to swoon.

" Shuddup. I care about you," Cain snapped. He didn't like to admit that he cared, but he loved Glitch so much.

Glitch smiled as he lay back in bed. He made himself comfortable and let out a sigh. He didn't realise how tired he really was. Lovingly, Cain pulled the duvet up over him. A grateful grin stretched across Glitch's mouth. Cain placed a hand on his lover's right cheek. Softly, he kissed the left; whatever Glitch had, he didn't care about catching. It wasn't long until Glitch's heavy eyes began to droop. He was asleep in no time at all. Cain sat there for quite some time, just watching. Just watching Glitch sleep made him feel like there was something in his life worth protecting. Adora was dead and buried, DG had reconnected with her past, Raw was becoming more confident each day and his son, Jeb, was off in the wide world, fending for himself. When Glitch moaned in his sleep and wiggled, he decided to let him rest alone.

He picked up his trousers that had been chucked across the room the day before and put them on. He slipped into the en suite bathroom to retrieve his shirt and hat. Giving Glitch one more sympathetic smile, he dashed out of the bedroom. He ran down the hallway, tipping his hat to passing servants, and galloped down two flights of stairs. He approached the dining room, where he would eat breakfast with Queen DG and Raw. Both their faces lit up and wide grins spread across them.

" Morning, Cain," DG greeted, her bright blue eyes sparkling powerfully. She looked different, now that she was queen. Maybe it was that ponytail she had styled her hair in. Maybe it was that she wore clothes fit for royalty. Maybe it was because she matured, mentally, and was showing in her appearance. Whatever it was, Cain couldn't put his finger on it.

Cain beamed and proceeded to hug her. " Good morning. How're you doing, Raw?" he added, giving Raw a manly nod.

" Where's Glitch?" DG asked. She stood on her toes to look over Cain's broad shoulder to see if her old family friend was there.

Cain's cheeks puffed out as he sighed in concern. " He's not well."

DG's ice blue orbs widened. She glared at Raw, the concern aflame in her eyes. They knew something that Cain didn't. Unlike Cain, she had suspicions whether Glitch was ill or not. More than once she had spotted him rushing to the bathroom. Countless times she had heard the sound of him retching and vomiting echoing in the castle hallways. Worried, she had discussed it with Raw, who, unlucky for Glitch, gave her the best advice. This was the perfect time to tell him about their discoveries.

" He wasn't well yesterday either," she told him.

" Or day before," the kind old lion added quietly.

" He hasn't been well for about a week," DG continued, hesitantly. " I'm kinda worried about him." Then she had a very special request for Raw. " Can you find out what's wrong with him?" Raw smiled shyly but nodded vigorously.


	2. Muglug

After the three of them had finished their breakfasts, they went to Cain and Glitch's bedroom. The poor, childishly sweet optimist was still fast asleep and snoring loudly. DG and Raw looked at one another, not entirely sure what to do. Cain didn't say a word. Instead, he gestured for them to leave. He felt that he should wait on his own. He kept his gun in his underwear drawer and if anything should happen to Glitch, Wyatt Cain – ex-Tin Man – would be the one to defend him from any attacker. So, there he was, just waiting and watching the man sleep. Hours dragged on by. Cain just kept on waiting. It was way into the afternoon until Glitch finally arose.

He jerked awake and yelped. He scratched his windswept dark hair and ran a finger down his zipper. Looking around drowsily, he spotted Cain sitting at the other end of the room, next to the drawer.

" How long have I been asleep?" he breathed.

" Since eight. How are you feeling?" Cain answered. He went to sit on the bed and held Glitch's hand in his.

" Uh…Still a little, you know?" he struggled to think of the appropriate word. He motioned his hands in small circles, trying to think it up. " Nauseous!" he cried, clicking his fingers with a slight smile.

Cain nodded. " Is there anything I can get you? A glass of water? Maybe somethin' to eat?" he asked, giving Glitch's arm a tender rub.

Growing suddenly pale again, Glitch's forehead became damp with sweat and his cheeks grew pink. He felt hot and dizzy. His black eyes shifted from the floor to his partner several times before he answered. " Mug-lug," he murmured. " I'd like to have some mug-lug."

" Yeah? OK. I'll go tell the kitchen staff," Cain replied. He readjusted his hat that was slightly askew.

The couple kissed and soon Glitch was left on his own. Alone, he let out a moan of despair. He nursed his throbbing bellyache. He cringed in embarrassment and massaged his belly. There was nothing to feel embarrassed about of course, but knowing Cain, he would make such a big fuss about this illness. He would want to make sure Glitch was well, and make sure he was eating sufficiently; like when he asked earlier. Glitch's plan of hiding it until he was better again was ruined. That was why he preferred to vomit in the bathroom at the end of the hallway, instead of in the en suite one. But at this moment with Cain gone, he could let all these miserable feelings show. Suddenly, he gulped. That terrible sensation was coming back. He had to run. Dragging himself from bed, he tripped, but that didn't stop him. He ran towards the bathroom door. He pushed it open and dashed inside. He hung his head over the toilet bowl. Spluttering and retching, he coughed up everything he had in him. Once he had washed the vomit off of his face, he felt a little better. He went to the chest of drawers and he clumsily dressed himself. It was his turn to wait for Cain's return.

" You're feeling better!" he boomed. He was carrying a tray with a steaming hot bowl and a plate with buttered toast on it. " Here's your soup – cooked up, especially for you."

" Thanks," Glitch replied and took the tray. He balanced it on his knees and broke the bread into smaller pieces. Smiling gratefully, the beefy, spicy smell of the soup reached his nose. The smile turned into a greedy beam as he dunked the bread into the bowl and shoved it into his mouth.

" You might feel better when you've eaten," said Cain. " Hey, um," he began. " DG wants Raw to take a look at you; just to make sure you're on the mend 'n' stuff."

Glitch sighed, chewing on a piece of toast. " No, really. I'm fine. I'm feeling better already!"

" All right," the usually very persistent cowboy replied. " I'm just doing this 'cause I care."

" If I let Raw work his magic on me, would it shut you up?" A glitchy, sly smile spread across his mouth.

" Yes."

" OK, then."


	3. Glitch's Glitch

Raw fumbled the stone walls, moving stealthily. Terrified of any passing servant or nobleman, he tried his best to hide. His soft, round brown eyes sparkled and his shaggy, yellow mane stuck out like some frenzied bush. He was always nervous about skulking around the castle, especially on his own. But he was trying his very best to emerge into the world, with other people. His adopted son, Kalm, was teaching him that but his silly fears snuck up on him sometimes. Looking around, he slunk in through a secret door (which was installed, especially for him.) He turned many corners and ran up many flights of stairs before he went through another door; the drawing room, to be exact. Nervously, he stuck his head in the door first. He spotted DG smiling sweetly at him.

" It's OK, Raw. It's just us. Come in," she reassured him. She took him by the arm and escorted him.

As Raw entered the room, he saw Glitch sitting on a chair behind a desk with Cain proudly standing beside him, with a heavy hand on his shoulder. An odd, warm feeling shot down Raw's spine. He sniffed curiously as he started shivering. He furrowed his brow and gazed around the room with an expression of concentration on his hairy face. This presence was a strange one. It was a presence that he hadn't felt before, but his heart was telling him that it was a good, positive energy that shouldn't be feared. The others just watched him intently.

" You feel something, don't you?" the queen piped up somewhat happily.

The quiet but fierce psychic lion didn't answer. Simply shrugging his shoulders, he slowly snooped around the room, still quivering. The energy was strong and he could just not specify where it was coming from. Slowly but surely, he stepped towards Glitch. The energy became immense. Uncertainly, Glitch followed his eyes. Finally, Raw placed a paw on his head, right in the middle of the zipper. The energy was surging from him, strongly and heavily. This was not right. Viewers were rarely wrong about these things.

" What's wrong with Glitch?" Cain asked, the worry showing in his tone.

" Well?" DG asked.

" Raw…don't…know," he mumbled quietly. " It not right."

" So there is something wrong?" Cain answered, giving Glitch a concerned frown.

" No. Not sick! Raw get Kalm!"

Excited, he spun around and scampered out of the door, in a way a newborn lamb skips in a field. DG was left even more confused and concerned. She shot a look at Cain who returned it with an unsatisfactory scowl. He looked down at Glitch. He just smiled, trying not to appear disappointed.

" It's fine, really," he whispered.

Cain's nostrils flared in anger. " This is a psychic rip-off!"

" Lay off!" DG cried. " He's just trying to help."

Glitch rolled his eyes disapprovingly. Lavender Eyes would never have spoken like that. A few minutes later, Raw returned with Kalm attached to his paw. The four adults watched him closely as he started shivering, just as Raw had. They were both beaming from ear to ear.

" Why did you bring Kalm?" DG asked Raw.

" Raw old…tired. Power stronger in young," he explained, eyeing the child proudly.

" This is so weird!" Kalm shrieked, sniffing at the very coy Glitch. " It's cool!" he grinned.

" I'm…right?" his adoptive father asked, referring to himself for the first time. Kalm nodded vigorously, his smile never fading.

" C'mon! Out with it! How sick is he?!" Cain bellowed impatiently.

" New life inside him. With child."

Cain's face lit up. For one second, one split second, he grinned. Then it changed. It looked as though he had just been punched in the face; he was so surprised! Glitch stared at him, equally surprised. His black orbs were so large that they could almost pop out of his head. Lowering his eyes to give his belly an astonished look, he rested a hand on it and tried to imagine the baby that was growing inside him.

" There must be some mistake," he murmured.

" No mistake. You with child."

" Yeah, that is a little strange. Where I come from, the women have the babies," said DG, reminiscing about her childhood on the Other Side, not necessarily missing it.

" Same applies here too," answered Cain. " That's what nature intended for both worlds. Sure ours is more advanced than yours but this really takes the cake. I've never heard of a man becoming pregnant before," he paused to frown in confusion. " And I'm the father! How did it happen?!"

" I think," Kalm chimed in. " The OZ is just…ready for it."

" Son," Cain replied, lowering himself to the boy's level. " You're a kid. You kids don't know squat."

The young lion may have been a child but he did know squat; more squat than Cain could ever know. He knew that his biological parents were snatched away from him and slaughtered by Longcoats at the tender age of two. He knew the pain and the terror of waking up without them. He knew that Lylo was kind enough to take him in. He knew that Raw was becoming the father he never had. But he never knew that he had more in common with Cain than he initially thought. He backed off, slowly. Comfortingly, Raw grabbed his paw but he just yanked it away, snarling. He fell on his front paws and galloped out of the door, reverting back to the four-legged bounder of his ancestors. Raw gave Cain a bloodthirsty glare before chasing after Kalm.

" Hon, that was uncalled for," Glitch whined, squeezing his partner's hand.

" That kid's been through worse stuff than you, be a little sensitive around him," DG cried, her dazzling blue eyes aflame with rage.

Cain stormed off without uttering another word. Alone. He had to be alone. DG looked after him, somewhat puzzled. When she heard the door slam, she turned to Glitch.

" You gonna go after him?"

Glitch shook his head. " I'm just gonna let him sort it out on his own. It's a lot to take in, you know?"

DG knelt down to his level. Their eyes met. She could see the fear and the confusion on his face. " How do you feel about it, Glitch?"

" I dunno," he mumbled, looking down again. " I guess it hasn't sunk in yet. I just don't understand it. Why me when there's so many other men out there?"

" Sometimes you can't explain it. There's no way of knowing for sure. Sometimes, these things just happen. You heard Kalm. The OZ is ready for this. God chose _you_. He chose you to be Mom's advisor. He chose you to help me find out who I am. He chose you to help me save my kingdom, and to save my mother and to stop Azkadellia. He chose you to give birth to this baby."

Glitch nodded and gave a toothy, glitchy grin. " It's going to be a great baby, isn't it?" He patted his belly and grinned again.

The queen chuckled heartily. " It should be, considering who its parents are! So what are you gonna do now?"

" I think…I think I'll go see my brain."


	4. Ambrose

Glitch pushed open the laboratory door and he beamed to see his brain in the jar. The wires attached were busy at work and the liquid was bubbling fiercely. He could tell that his brain was working properly and was free of any ailments. He tapped the glass lovingly, like what you do to a fish tank.

" Hi, Ambrose," he whispered. Ambrose bubbled in response. " You'll never guess what!" he beamed again. " Your body's going to be a daddy! Yeah! Amazing, isn't it?" Ambrose bubbled. " I think so. But you'd know how it got like this, wouldn't you?" Ambrose bubbled. " I've forgotten so much these past few years but this has me completely baffled. What do you think of it?" Ambrose bubbled. Glitch chuckled at Ambrose's ludicrous notion. " That's a good one! Forgetting I'm male!" Suddenly, the smile disappeared as his mind flashbacked to one particularly passionate evening a couple of months before. " Oh…" Ambrose bubbled mockingly. " Hey, it's not funny! You're a real smarty-pants, you know that? Well, you're lucky you don't have to go through the birth." Ambrose bubbled inquisitively. " Cain." Ambrose bubbled violently with surprise. " Yeah. I don't think he's too happy about it though," Glitch added sadly. " He's so moody and pessimistic. What's so wrong about your lover having your child? Huh! Men!" He rolled his eyes. Ambrose bubbled in agreement. " I really wanna tell Lavender Eyes but I'm a little scared of what to say to her. You haven't been a part of me in so long." Ambrose bubbled. " Yeah, true. I can't tell her. You should." Ambrose bubbled. " Oh, right. I forgot. What should I say?" The words came to him.

He ran to get some paper and an inkwell and quill. He set up a table and chair beside the jar so he could admire his brain to help him think. At first he got distracted by tickling his nose with the feathery end of the quill. No. He had to get on. He smiled at his brain, pretending that it would smile back. He looked down at the blank page and it seemed as though the words were forming themselves. Dipping the quill into the ink, he began to write as neatly as he could. The eerie sound of the quill scratching against the paper filled the lab, only to be drowned out by the brain's occasional bubbles.

Glitch beamed at what he had just written. It was like being his old self again. He knew that his dear friend would love to hear the glorious news and that she would understand the way Cain was probably feeling. Carefully, he folded the letter, only to groan in dismay to find that the centre was askew. His dexterity had certainly worsened. Gingerly and slowly, he slipped the letter inside the envelope. Humming merrily, he generated rather a large quantity of saliva and slathered it on to stick it all together. Blowing an affectionate kiss to the jar, he scampered off with an almost spring in his step, still grinning and humming and singing. He climbed the stairs that led to the main castle. He dashed down a hallway and raced up a tall tower. He came to a door and was about to barge in but stopped. After clearing his throat, he gave a polite bang on the creaky, old wooden door. When the occupant gave him permission by giving a boom of " Enter!", he stepped inside.

" Hello, Toto," Glitch greeted, beaming.

Tutor turned and grumbled. His face was dark like the velvety night sky and awfully plump from the kind people who fed him sausages who thought he was a real dog. He beamed when he saw his dear old occasional acquaintance, the wrinkles forming around his mouth. He snapped the book he was holding shut and his black orbs sparkled.

" Rumour has it, there's going to be a new resident in the palace," he said with a slight chuckle.

" Huh?" Glitch frowned in confusion. Tutor raised his grey eyebrows, his warm smile never waning. When Glitch understood what the old man meant, he nodded enthusiastically with a wide grin. " Oh, yes!" He caught a glimpse of his belly, which at this point, had no evidence of it whatsoever. " How do you know?"

" Well, there are a lot of people living here. News travels fast, Ambrose," said the wise shape-shifter. He put the book down and Glitch could see the large quantity of vials and bottles that stood in a row on the professor's desk. " Is there any reason you came to see me?"

" Uh, yeah," Glitch took his letter out of his pocket and handed it to royal teacher. " Can you, um, take this to Finaqua? It's for Lavender Eyes and, uh, Ahamo." Referring to the king using his first name was disrespectful, he was aware of that, but he knew Lavender Eyes wouldn't mind, since they had been best friends long before Ahamo even attained his hot-air balloon.

" Well, I'm giving DG her follow-up lesson this afternoon."

" Please! She's my friend. She needs to know."

Tutor gave a nod of the head as he understood. He shape-shifted into a tiny creature. This time, it wasn't the fluffy brown puppy that everyone was so familiarised with. He had transformed into a tiny blue bird with a splash of yellow on its underbelly. The bird cheeped and twittered sweetly and flew out of the open window with the letter clenched hard in its orange beak. A glitchy grin spread across Glitch's mouth and he flapped his hand as he saw the minuscule animal off. He skipped off out of the room and picked up a key, and absentmindedly locked the door behind him. He galloped down the stairs of the tower. In fifteen minutes he had had run from the West Wing to the East Wing, where most of the bedrooms were. One hallway looked familiar and he recognised it as the hallway where his bedroom was.

" Cain, what was wrong with you earlier?" he asked after he had opened the door and walked inside.

Cain was lying flat on his back on the bed. He had removed his coat and it was now hanging over the edge of the untouched vanity table. He had pulled his hat over his face to conceal his immature pout. His chest was rising slowly as he breathed in and out heavily. He was trying his hardest not to lose his temper and deep down, he knew he was failing.

" Cain, sweetheart, what's the matter?" Glitch whispered softly. " It's the baby. Isn't it?"

" Why do you care?!" the cowboy answered in a muffled grumble.

An unexpected shout slipped out of Glitch's mouth. " Because I love you and I'm the one who's gonna get fat and gassy for you!" Cain grimaced, staring at the black abyss around him. " Come on. What's up?" he smiled and gave his sweetheart a loving nudge on the chest.

Cain shook his head and the hat fell onto his pillow. He sat up with a distraught and furious expression on his face. " I don't think we're ready for a baby. We need more time."

" What are you saying?" Glitch squeaked nervously. His eyebrows were raised in concern.

" You need to do something about it. See a doctor or a shaman...o-or-or a wizard! Anybody!"

Glitch's mouth gaped open in terror. He pressed a hand hard on his belly. Cradling it, he gave the child's father the most horrified glare. " You can't ask me to do something as terrible as that. You should know better, _Tin Man!_ I could be arrested for such an act. I'm keeping the baby, whether you're here or not."

Cain's handsome, glittering azure orbs became watered with the debilitating tears of depression and fury. He returned his hat to his yellow head and stormed off to the drawer with just a red-hot, " Fine!"

He yanked out his drawer and threw it across the room, bellowing in anger. All his clothes tumbled out in the process. The loud clatter made Glitch start. Ferociously, Cain picked them up. He went back to the bed. He got down on all fours and reached in under the bed. Glitch watched him with a stunned and hurt expression on his white face. Cain pulled out a suitcase. He threw onto the bed. Scowling at Glitch, he tossed his clothes into it.

" Honey, don't!"

" I've had it with you!"

" Please don't. W-we can talk it out!"

" You said you're keeping the baby, whether I'm here or not. So I'm outta here!"

" No! I won't allow it! Please, Cain, let's talk! Please come back!"

" If you need me, I'll be bunkin' with Raw."

" Sweetness, why?"

" I'm sorry. I'm just not cut out for this anymore."

Cain walked out of the door, dragging the suitcase behind him. Scared, confused and devastated, Glitch chased after him with tears in his black eyes.

" Cain, come back! Don't! Cain! Cain! Come on, stop fooling around! Come back! Cain!" He sighed heavily when he finally gave up and decided that Cain wasn't coming back.


	5. The Queen at Finaqua

Tutor had flown quite a distance. Flapping his wings as hard he could, he gazed at the sights below him. His human form grinned from within the bird. As he looked down on the tiny houses, buildings, people and as he flew over the green of the treetops, he realised that he had forgotten how wonderful his life was. The grass was so green, the sky was so blue, the wind in his face was so crisp and bitterly cold. He was getting a bit thirsty too. A puddle reflected in the sun's rays, so he fluttered down and perched himself on the ground, careful not to damage Glitch's note. A quick guzzle later and he was ready for action. He picked up the large letter and flew away. Dodging in and out of the trees, he was so fast that he was just a flash of blue and white. Climbing higher and higher into the cloudy blue sky, he flapped his wings, almost panting to gain more speed. Soon, the maze was just below him. The lake was stunningly beautiful in the sunlight. He darted downwards and raced to an open window of the cabin.

The former queen hummed sweetly as she held fabric and poked a needle through it. She looked up for a few moments. She watched her loving Ahamo sit by the crackling fire. He rocked his chair back and forth. He was so intrigued by his book that he dared not rip his sapphire orbs from the page. His wife of thirty one years beamed happily. How lucky she was to have found him. She turned her attention back to her sewing. A bright blue tiny bird appeared on the windowsill. It was twittering frantically and in its beak was a large white envelope. Lavender Eyes giggled in delight.

" Oh, Tutor! How lovely it is to see you!" she shrieked, clapping her hands like an excited young child. Her signature strangely purple eyes twinkled with happiness. Bird-form Tutor whistled and dropped the envelope into her lap. Giving the bird a curious glare, she ripped it open and quickly scanned it. She yelped in surprise.

'My dearest Queen Lavender Eyes,

As you are aware, Wyatt Cain and I have found love with one another. We are not yet married, because of the laws and what not, but we don't mind. We are just so happy that we've finally come together as a couple. Over these past couple of weeks I've been feeling ill and different. It's like my body is wearing itself out because it's working so hard. I feel exhausted and nauseous, yet I'm so terribly overjoyed. Please don't worry. There's no cause for concern. It turns out that it's good news.

Raw felt a strong presence upon me. It wasn't the love that I feel for Cain; it was something stronger. I must sound crazy for saying this but I have to tell you because you're my greatest, closest friend. You have to know. What I have to tell you is that God has chosen me to carry a baby. I'm thrilled and bursting with pride but also tremendously confused about it. I am male; males aren't supposed to carry children. If you have any idea how I've come to be in such a condition, please enlighten me. Cain is not so thrilled. He's a bit huffy about it. Obviously the pain of losing his son is lingering around. I forgive him for that but I'm afraid that he might not be a good father. Is there anything I can do to make him see the wonders of this pregnancy? I'll be awaiting your reply.

With Love From,

Your Angel (Ambrose)'

She clapped her hand to her mouth in shock. " Oh!" she cried. " My darling angel; you marvellous man!"

Ahamo removed his reading glasses and closed his book. " I hope you're talking about me." His pale face shone as he smiled a warm smile.

" No! No, no. It's Ambrose, my dear. He's expecting," his queen replied, her voice thick with honey.

" Your friend Ambrose? What's so great about that?"

" No, you silly fool! He's expecting a baby – himself! Isn't it just wonderful news?" Ahamo smiled again and nodded in agreement.

Lavender Eyes' mind was cast back to when she was sixteen, when her mother introduced to her to the shy, timid, eccentric and somewhat nerdy thirteen year old prodigy. Both of them had come a long way. To think they nearly got engaged! Instantly, she arose from her seat and went to the drawer. She whipped out a piece of paper and pencil. Her slender, small, porcelain-like hands moved swiftly across the page. Replacing Glitch's letter with hers, she slipped it into the envelope. She instructed Tutor to go straight back to the palace. He chirped and fluttered away with her reply.


	6. Bigger, Better, Stronger Than Anger

Dinner that evening was not a happy occasion. DG sat at the head of the table and she had a good view of Raw with Kalm sitting next to him. Usually they chatted amongst themselves and made silly jokes but this particular night, they did not utter a word. They just gnawed at their turkey legs like ravenous dogs in silence. Only their mouths made noise, with the sound of their jaws bouncing up and down. Cain and Glitch sat by side and side. Usually DG had the pleasure of watching them snuggle up to one another, hold hands and kiss, as well as lovingly feeding each other their leftovers. That night didn't even make eye contact. If they did, it would be accidental and they gave each other dirty looks for two seconds before continuing their dinner.

" Raw, please ask Glitch to pass the salt," Cain piped up.

Raw sighed and rolled his eyes before saying, " Pass salt to Cain."

As the infuriated ragdoll-like man picked up the salt, he grumbled through his teeth, " Raw, please tell Cain that it's unhealthy to add excess salt to food."

Raw sighed but didn't want to object. " Salt is unhealthy."

DG wished not to see any more. " What is up with you two tonight? You're always bickering; I'm sick of it! You'd better not be fighting about the baby," she cried.

" Who cares what we're fighting about?" mumbled Cain heatedly. " Glitch is the most selfish person I've ever met."

" I'm selfish?!" Glitch bellowed. " Says the man who wants me to kill our own child!"

DG gasped in horror. The lions stayed quiet but watched closely. Though Viewers had not been participants in the OZ's laws for hundreds of years, they held a great respect for the humans' rules but stayed away from any danger.

" Cain, is that true?" the queen asked, knowing all too well what his punishment would be.

" So what if it is? There's no harm."

" No harm? What about the poor baby? It would never see the lake at Finaqua or the double sunset, or any of us. It wouldn't even have the chance to breathe," the dark-haired young woman answered. Her bright cerulean eyes shone, the chandelier overhead reflected in them.

" I don't care about some no-good kid." The rage burning within him, Cain pushed his chair out and threw his napkin onto the table. He scowled angrily. He gave the cowering Glitch a heartbroken leer. Storming off to bed, he stamped his heavy boots hard on the stone floor.

Tears filled Glitch's dark eyes. He took one disgusted look at his dinner and removed himself from his chair. He began to walk through the door when DG stopped him.

" Glitch, where are you going?"

" I'm gonna go and throw up."

Raw shot a glance at her and gave her an expression as if to say, " I'm not getting involved." She rested her head in her hand and heaved an exasperated sigh. The timid, yellow-bellied kitten scratched his bearded chin. He knew what she was thinking and he knew what to say. He turned to Kalm.

" Bed," he said.

" Please, can I at least have pudding first?"

" Bed."

" Raw!" the young lion-boy whined.

He folded his arms, crossed his legs and pouted. He was determined not to follow his guardian's rules. His human blood was pumping fast through his veins. Enraged and impatient, Raw bared his sharp teeth and claws. He snarled menacingly. He belted out a tremendous roar.

" NOW!"

Living up to his misnomer, Kalm's temper fell apart. He roared and scampered off. Before he left, he kicked over a table with a neglected candlestick on it. He raced off to bed on all fours, continuing to roar in fury. He also continued wrecking furniture along the way and frightening passersby.

DG's jaw dropped in awe. She was so stunned that she kept quiet for a few moments. " Well, I'm impressed," she said finally. " I see you with that kid everyday and I've never seen you discipline him like that."

" Promised Lylo. Keep Kalm safe. Take care of him."

There was a short, awkward pause. " Hm. It's weird with those two, right?" DG didn't have to explain that she meant Glitch and Cain.

" Cain says he's not ready. Told Glitch to get abortion. Really, he doesn't want baby to be like Jeb," the old seer explained nonchalantly and shrugged. Same old, same old.

" You're amazing, do you know that?" she guffawed.

Raw grinned coyly. " You're amazing," he whispered.

" Do you know if they're gonna break up?"

" Cain feels bad. Glitch is sad. They will come together. Love is powerful magic. Bigger, better, stronger than anger."


	7. We Fight We Break Up, We Kiss We Make Up

**Yes, the chapter title is a reference to the infamous Katy Perry song :P That song totally reminds me of Cain! XD**

Settling down, Cain wriggled uncomfortably on the sofa in Raw's bedroom. He pulled the blanket further over his shoulder. The Tin Man felt an emptiness in his heart, like a large chunk had been munched on and spewed out. There was no one to make feel safe, warm and secure. There was no one to stroke or kiss goodnight. He wriggled again and turned over to watch his somewhat distant friend. Raw preferred to sleep on the floor, in a nest of freshly cut leaves and twigs. He lived like this when he was with his tribe. He didn't necessarily miss his past with his fellow Viewers, but he knew he could always back to them if he wanted to. Raw curled up into a tiny ball, then changed position and turned over onto his back. He outstretched his legs and let them hang up in the air. He covered his hairy face with his large, yellow paws.

Before he closed his eyes, he gently uttered kind words to Cain, " Second chance at getting it right."

The ex-cop scoffed. " Yeah, right."

Glitch caged himself in the duvet. Wrapped up tight and warm, he half expected Cain to roll over and spread out his flaccid limbs, taking up more than half of the bed. Then he remembered. He sighed as he scooted further to the middle. For once he could have the whole bed to himself. It wasn't the same, somehow. The tangly, bristly, dark-headed dolt missed Cain's gentle murmurings and breathing down his neck, the gritting sound of pig-like snores, the soft rustle of the duvet. Sleeping alone was the worst thing ever. Glitch repositioned his head on the pillow. He smiled falsely and gave his flat belly a brief massage.

" He'll be back soon, don't you worry, little one. Daddy loves you with all his heart!" he whispered. No one heard him speak these comforting words, but who cared? All Glitch cared about was if Cain would ever come back at all. He tried to rid himself of that tiny piece of doubt that he had masked.

Another sigh passed his lips. He turned over onto his side and placed a hand on the pillow to rest his head against. When he closed his black eyes, he began to feel hot and feverish. Just the hormones. It'd pass soon. It didn't. That familiar dreadful sensation of nausea washed over him like the crashing waves of an ocean. An unexpected cough jumped out at him from out of nowhere, a heave followed. Uh-oh. Dashing out of bed, the retching and the gagging worsened. He clasped his hands to his mouth. He ran out to the hallway in a panic.

As his breathing shortened, he gave a weak and pathetic cry of, " Cain!"

Doubling over, opaque brownish-red sick splattered onto the floor. Finally, the room began to sway and spin. Becoming increasingly dizzy, he grabbed hold of a table, but not even that could prevent him from collapsing.

" Glitch! You OK, sweetheart?" a man's deep voice echoed, eerily. That voice was familiar. Glitch opened his eyes.

" W-where am I?" Cain's handsome features became clearer and soon Glitch was staring right into the gleaming azure jewels of his eyes. The concerned cowboy was hovering over his partner, worriedly.

" You've had a nasty fall," he answered. He caressed Glitch's cheek warmly and grinned in relief. " You really got me scared for a second there. I was frightened that, uh, you wouldn't wake up, or somethin' might've happened to the kid. I've been such an idiot lately. I do love this baby! I'm just…uh, a l-l-little outta practice." He smiled sheepishly at his own awful joke.

" Glad I'm here to help," Glitch joked.


	8. A Horrible Incident

Time passed too quickly. The spring melted and the summer arrived. It was the hottest summer since the time of the Grey Gale. The two yellow suns beat down on all the cities, farmlands, deserts and forests, causing nearly every vegetation and source of water to dry up. DG worked terribly hard to save her people. Luckily, the good King Mabu of Ket, the world just beyond the OZ, was more than helpful. The imprisoned Longcoats were given to him in exchange for a water supply. King Mabu was grateful for his 'factory-workers' and Queen DG was irretrievably grateful and from then on, the relationship between the two rulers expanded into something greater. The Ozites and Kesians were at peace too. In addition to this, DG made a thrilling proclamation. Being true to her friends, she allowed her subjects, human or not, to participate in relationships of the homosexual nature. Since this was so unheard of, they reacted somewhat unfavourably. Seeing as how happy Cain was with Glitch and vice versa, they soon embraced it with open arms. The OZ became an even happier place to live. It was very difficult to believe that just a year before, the world was thrown into turmoil.

As the weeks turned into months, Glitch experienced many changes in his body and he took them in his stride. Despite his heartburn, exhaustion, gas and high temperature, he kept smiling and making jokes as he always did. He was making a vast sacrifice for his child and if that meant feeling sick and tired, then so be it. The foetus was growing at a fast rate and it seemed very content to be developing inside a man's body. Soon, its glowing father grew a small bump which held a similar shape to a watermelon. Cain was especially proud, even though he wasn't one hundred percent sure that he was completely ready. Everyone in the palace made a big fuss over the expectant parent. He certainly got a big head after that. He deserved some attention, he thought.

The summer was drawing to a close, and the farmers were starting to recuperate. Their crops began to grow again but it would be a long time until they were fully grown. The harvest was going to have to be cancelled. DG was hoping her dear Mabu would help them when the time came. But Glitch always saw things on the bright side. Obviously, he was hotter than everyone else but it was always refreshing to take a dip in a cool bath or shower. Furthermore, the OZ rarely had heat waves such as this; the younger generation would have stories to tell their children. It made DG smile but it didn't do anything about her concern for her kingdom and home.

One warm afternoon, Glitch was resting in the garden in the shade of a large tree. He lay on a rickety old sun bed that once belonged to Lavender Eyes' distant relative, Princess Ozma. He lay on his side, admiring his belly and caressing a finger against it, making soft circular motions. Giving a glitchy grin, he basked in his disorganised thoughts; wondering if it was a boy or girl, which parent it would mainly look like, how pretty it would be, how sweetly natured it would be, if it would be destined for greatness.

" Oh, little one," he whispered. " I love you." The child responded with a hard kick. He winced but laughed. " Ouch! You're a regular little soccer player, aren't you?"

He moved awkwardly onto his back once more. Softly, he allowed a discomforted grunt and wiggled his backside. Comfortable, he puffed out his cheeks, releasing a long exhale. He patted his belly, then rubbed his eyes. Not that he complained about such things, but his hormones kept him awake some nights. With the warm breeze and the gentle swoosh of the branches in the tree, it became increasingly hard not to stay awake. A yawn later and he was almost off to sleep. Suddenly, a crack rang out. The next thing Glitch knew, he was lying spread-eagled on the floor. A sharp pain trickled down his spine and a dull ache span around his head.

" Gosh! It really hurts! Oh…my! Cain!" he mumbled breathlessly and weakly. He stood up.

The world danced and grew hazy and blurry. He moaned and rubbed his temple. Slowly, clumsily and gingerly, he blindly made his way to the patio. He pulled the door open, grimacing in pain. Gripping onto the walls, he tried to find anyone who would help him. A servant, a nobleperson or even a rat – anybody! Something horrifying was happening to the baby; he knew it.

" Cain!" he moaned and breathed sharply. The pain was menacing and crippling. He supported his back with his trembling hand. The baby didn't seem to move. " Cain! Come here right now!" he grumbled under his breath. The world faded to black.


	9. The Taxi Ride

A loud horn honked. Glitch awoke with a start and cried out. He found himself being nursed by Cain, with Raw sitting in the corner beside him. A confused frown spread across his face as he sat up. He looked around and realised where he was. He was in the back of a taxi that was being driven at an unnecessary speed.

" What happened? The last thing I remember I was in the garden-"

" Yeah, we know," Cain interrupted. He kissed the shaky head-case on the lips and held his hand. " You're goin' to the doctor."

" Baby might be hurt," Raw added.

" What? W-where's DG?"

" Gone to see King Mabu," replied Raw. He gave a disapproving roll of his eyes.

" Again? Jeez, she's been to see him every week! She'd better not be doing anything she shouldn't!" Glitch answered, giggling somewhat weakly.

" She's a grown woman, guys. If she wants to date Mabu, then that's up to her," Cain pointed out.

" YEAH! SAME TO YOU, BUDDY!" a new, an oddly familiar voice suddenly boomed. " Man, drivers these days."

" Just keep doin' what you're doin', DeMilo," Cain warned. " And you'll be off scot-free."

" God, you Tin Men make my skin crawl!" DeMilo whined from the driver's seat.

Cain coughed to cover an immature chuckle. " Here's a tip for ya: if you're gonna break the law, don't get caught."

" All I was doin' was helpin' that poor girl out," DeMilo retorted, trying very badly to plead his case.

" Well, yeah, you helped her out a bit too much. Now you're here," the Tin Man added smugly. " Doing community service; where you belong." There was an awkward pause when DeMilo had met his comeuppance. " So, sweetheart, are you feeling better?" he asked his partner.

" My head _really_ hurts, so does my back," said Glitch. He rubbed the back of his head and grimaced. " I hope the baby's all right." Raw nodded in agreement. " I haven't felt the poor thing move in quite some time."

" It'll be OK. The doctor will see if there's problem," Cain responded softly. " Don't worry. It's going to be OK."

Tentatively, he put a hand on the tiny, heaving, oddly-shaped belly of the child's carrier. Glitch blushed with embarrassment. Cain had never touched the bump with as much love as he was showing at this moment. He was grinning like the Cheshire cat – something he did on a rare occasion. He locked his head in Glitch's shoulder as he stared at the still bump. Glitch smiled, held him close and kissed him on the top of the head. Raw watched the both of them. Deep inside, he was elated even though he cringed.

" It's going to be OK," Cain whispered again. He sat up and repositioned himself in his seat.

Finally, he moved Glitch's orangey-brown coat out of the way and he began to unbutton his scruffy, unwashed white shirt. Glitch's mouth twitched nervously as Cain pulled up the black and red-striped vest. The snow-white skin seemed to be whiter in the dim light. Raw observed them curiously. Cain's beam never vanished as he carefully removed his seatbelt. Lovingly, he pressed his lips against the curve.

" Cain, I thought you didn't want it?" whispered Glitch, almost shocked at what the cowboy had just done.

" Well, I…" Cain trailed off. Instead, he just shrugged.


	10. The Ultrasound of Remorse

The doctor's surgery was very…tiny. It was just a dull-coloured tent with a sign that read 'Doctor Hamncap' in red paint on the flaps. The three friends stepped inside to find themselves in a waiting room, full of sick patients. Some had swollen throats and were coughing blood, some were green with red spots all over their faces, some seemed perfectly healthy. They all grew silent when the three of them sat down. Several women gawped at Glitch, making him feel a little self-conscious. Raw plopped himself on the floor behind the chairs, hoping he wouldn't be stared at. They waited for a few minutes until a young woman came through another tent flap.

" Right, who's next?" she asked in a raised voice as she scribbled something on the clipboard she was holding. In unison, all the patients pointed in Cain, Glitch and Raw's direction without a word. The woman grinned politely. " Would you like to come through?" she added with a soft tone.

They stood up and followed the woman to the other section of the tent. They entered and saw a round, stumpy older man with greying hair and thick square glasses. His unruly beard was black and dirty. He had a pale, wrinkled and drained face that had seen many a tragic injustice in his fifty-eight year lifetime. He looked up from his desk. When he saw them, he grinned with a tremendous thankfulness and happiness.

" My saviours!" He stood up and gave a respectful bow which made Glitch blush a deep rose colour. " What brings you to my office?" asked Dr. Hamncap in a loud confident voice.

" Well…" Cain began, " Flatfoot here got himself into a bit of a tangle." He chuckled as he said this, but to Glitch, it wasn't a nice joke at all.

" Yes. I-I-I-I, um, I can't remember but…I was resting in the sun bed Lav-uh, I mean – Queen Lavender Eyes – had. The next thing I knew, I banged my head, and the baby hasn't moved since."

Raw put his hand on his friend's shoulder and it came to him. " Couldn't hold extra weight; snapped and broke!" he cried.

" Oh, dear," the doctor answered sympathetically with a frown. " Let me have a look at you then, Sir Ambrose. Come and sit on the examination table."

Shyly, Glitch plopped himself on the table with slight difficulty. Anxiously entwining his fingers, he slouched, making his belly seem larger that it really was. Cain patted him tenderly on the back, before Dr. Hamncap started speaking.

" If you would remove your top, sir?" he said as he readied the equipment he was going to need to use. Glitch did as he was told without a word. " So you were lying on a sun bed when this happened?"

" Um, yes. It's been a long summer and I just wanted to enjoy the heat for once."

" Tough weather we've been having, isn't it?" the doctor replied. He placed a foetal stethoscope on top of the curve and listened intently.

" Thankfully the king of Ket was there to help us," Glitch continued, giving Raw a cold glare.

" Heartbeat's fine," the doctor mumbled under his breath.

Cain gave his boyfriend a nod of support. He smiled, but just only slightly. Glitch heaved a deep sigh and closed his eyes in relief. His belief in God had waned but in this moment, it came back to him. With all his heart, he prayed to thank the mysterious spirit for keeping the child out of harm's way.

" Let's see if it's completely OK. I'm going to see if it hasn't any visible injuries," he said in a cheery voice that sounded unsettling. " This is my favourite part of the job," he realised.

Glitch nodded, suddenly feeling shy just when Dr. Hamncap dropped the foetal stethoscope back on the trolley, making a loud clanging sound against the metal. He gave Glitch a signature glitchy beam as he eagerly rubbed his grubby mitts together. He walked across the room and opened one of the cupboards. Grunting, he brought out a heavy projector-like machine with a green cling film-like screen.

" Wait!" Cain protested. " We don't want any scan."

" Cain, i-it's all right," Glitch told him.

" Don't want to know gender," Raw explained.

The kind old doctor smiled as sweetly as a small child would. He nodded, which indicated an incredible understanding. " I'll block it out for you, OK? Good thing I have the 0.2 model, isn't it?"

Carefully, he placed the heavy machine on another trolley and pushed it over to the examination table, on which Glitch was sitting. The pregnant patient lay back on the table with his back supported by a pillow. Cain, still unconvinced, pulled up a chair and sat beside the father-mother-thing, to give him all the support and comfort he could give. Raw curled up on the floor, making him appear invisible to the naked eye. The doctor, humming an amazingly irritating tune, set up the device, ready to make the image of Cain and Glitch's child appear. All three saviours wore nervous smiles as the confident doctor pressed a blue button on the machine's keypad. He typed in several codes and numbers before a blinding platinum yellow light switched on. It beamed straight into Glitch's developing belly. From beneath his hat, Cain raised his eyebrows disapprovingly. He didn't care if he was going to see his second child for the first time, the machine seemed dangerous and it could be harmful to unborn infants. The light reflected back into the machine and it finally sprung to life. It made a monotone humming sound as it gently vibrated. Glitch stared at it in awe. Something – a memory – glimmered across his mind. The sounds of clicking, banging, whirring and even laughter echoed around his head. It was his idea and his…What was it called again? Suddenly, a grainy image emerged from the screen. Slowly – oh so, _very_ slowly – the picture began to expand beyond the screen until it became almost like a 3D image of a dark-skinned alien looking thing.

Glitch cooed and a gigantic grin spread across his face. He continued to smile until his face ached. That alien thing was the baby. It was the baby! " Oh, isn't it just beautiful?" he cried to his friends.

" Yes, indeed-y!" Dr. Hamncap interrupted.

Raw scrunched up his face to attempt to conceal a snigger. He covered his face with his paw and let out a low and gruff chortle. To him, the infant looked like a piece of raw meat, resembling something that he enjoyed to eat. Cain, however, sat there like a lump. He was dumbfounded. Unable to speak, he just gawped at the picture of _his_ daughter or son. It was beautiful and all of a sudden, he felt excited and impatient for its arrival. He couldn't wait to hold it in his arms, kiss it and love it. Right then and there, he planned to teach it all kinds of different things, like how to ride a bike and how to pack a good punch and how to spit. But then as the excited feelings faded away, a great lump of guilt lodged itself in his throat. This wonderfully tiny being was a part of him, and he wished it was dead just a few months before. As Glitch watched him with a heavy heart, Cain's eyes filled to the brim with tears. Slightly embarrassed, he shut his eyes for a moment and released a breath. When he opened his eyes again, he gave a pained smile and kissed Glitch's cheek, though the cerulean diamonds were icy with the bothersome tears.

" Cain, are you all right?" asked Glitch, hesitantly, with a furrowed brow in concern.

Cain didn't answer. Instead, he sighed, the tears stinging his eyes.

" Cain? Cain, sweetheart. Say something, please," Glitch continued. He wriggled uncomfortably on the table.

Cain hung his head. With his eyes closed, he tried to block out everything around him. It had worked in the tin suit; it would've worked anywhere else but here. Breathing heavily, it became increasingly difficult not to cry. He looked up once again. As he stared his boyfriend straight in the eye, he uttered the following quiet and dogged words. " I need to be by myself," he murmured. He got up to leave the tent but Glitch stalled him.

" Cain, if it's _anything _to do with what you said about the termination, you can talk to me. You do know that, don't you?"

" Yeah, but I've nothing to say."

If there had been a door, Cain would have slammed it. He walked through to the waiting room, where Dr. Hamncap was sitting and speaking with his patients and Raw was off in his own little world. The doctor's eyes met with Cain's and before they could exchange words, Cain rushed out. His knees fell weak and he collapsed to the ground. His broad shoulders began to shake. The tears that were caged up in his heart, leaked through the icy blue glass spheres. Covering his face with his hands, he began rock back and forth as the most horrible thoughts raced through his mind. If Glitch did have the abortion, they wouldn't have that wonderful little human to cherish and nurture. That was when a large lump of horror and remorse lodged itself in his throat. He tried to swallow it but it was stuck there. Little did he know that a very small portion of it would be stuck there for the rest of his life. Cain wept for several more minutes until he was too tired to cry. With an unusually wide grin on his face, he stood up and gulped the warm August air through his nose. Feeling much happier, he went back to the doctor's office, where he would receive the final disgnosis.

" Well," Dr. Hamncap began. " Sir, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the baby. The baby's fine." Raw, Cain and Glitch heaved three big sighs of relief. " But you say your head hurts?" Glitch nodded his head. " That concerns me very much. It's most likely you have a mild concussion, so I am advising you to rest for a few days. I trust Sir Cain will see to that?"

A small smile formed in Cain's mouth. " If that's what Glitchy needs, then all right. You can count on me." Lovingly, he gave Glitch a pat on the back.

Later on in DeMilo's taxi, when Raw had drifted off to sleep, Glitch was watching Cain very closely. Cain was leaning against the side with his head in his hand, watching the world whizz past the window. He did all he could to do to avoid looking at Glitch.

Glitch gave a slight frown in confusion. " Are you OK?" he asked, rubbing his lower back.

Cain nodded, mouthing, " Yeah," silently.

" I dunno. You seem a little distracted. Are you sure you're OK?"

Cain turned to face him. With tear-stained cheeks, he grinned. " Sure. It's just that…I saw my second kid for the first time today. There isn't a better feelin' than that!" Glitch collapsed into his arms and hugged him. They kissed and held each other's hands for the rest of the journey.


	11. Meet the Boyfriend

When they arrived back at the palace later that evening, they were met by the most extraordinarily beautiful sight. The two yellow circles in the sky were setting, painting the Outer Zone with the warmest orangey-red colour. Everything looked like it was one big scorching bonfire. Clutching the bump, Glitch exhaled serenely. Soon the baby would be able to see a picturesque scene like this one. He was suddenly broken from his trance as Kalm came rushing up to Raw to give him a huge embrace. Cain smiled, eyeing Glitch's belly somewhat nervously.

The four friends walked towards the door and unexpectedly, DG appeared by the window on the second floor. From afar, the four of them could see the anxiety, concern and fear on her pasty pale face. Even though they couldn't see it, her dark and unruly mop of hair had been brushed back and an Alice band had been carefully place on the top of her head, and if one should look closer they'd see silver glitter sprinkled in the big black frenzied curls. Her face was not as pale since she had put on a small amount of foundation, as well as a thin layer of reddish-pink lipstick. It wasn't like DG to be self-conscious and wear make-up, so there must have been something important occurring.

" Where were you guys?!" she snapped in a royally manner. She cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.

Cain followed suit. " Glitch had a close encounter of the floor kind!" he joked, which resulted in him being tapped on the shoulder by Glitch. It wasn't his fault the sun bed gave way.

" Everything's fine! The baby's OK!" he added.

Raw simply shuffled his feet and lowered his warm chestnut orbs. He kicked a loose piece of dirt and tightened his grip on Kalm's paw. He could barely look up to the window.

" Well c'mon in, guys. I've got something to tell you!" the Queen cried.

Cain pushed open the large and heavy wooden doors to let his delicate, fragile porcelain doll pass through with any troubles. As Kalm scampered off to play with Kiz, the maid's young daughter, the others turned and walked up the stairs to the drawing room where DG first learnt that she was going to be queen. This particularly grim room didn't have any furniture like the one where they discovered Glitch's pregnancy. The ancient, cracked walls were made of stone to make it look like a mediaeval castle, and it was complete with fire lit torches. There, they spotted their female companion. Beside her, a man stood tall and proud with a shapely jaw and piercing brown eyes.

" DG…Uh?" Raw whimpered. He didn't like the look of this man. He cowered as he fell weak with shyness.

" Oh! Um, men, this is Mabu. My boyfriend!"

The man stepped forward with an outstretched hand. In the dimly lit room, his dark skin of chocolate seemed to shimmer, like the sparkling blue water underneath the blazing hot suns. He had a rather thin face with full cheeks and a vastly thick nose with only tiny curves for nostrils. His kind mouth was curled up into a sly grin. He had black curls, just like his girlfriend, which had been straightened and gelled back so it wouldn't get in his eyes. It was clear that his dangerously generous thirty-something year old man didn't exercise that often. His belly was nothing but a bump that stuck out as if he was the one who was pregnant.

" So you are the infamous saviours I've heard so much about?" he said in a low voice that had a hint of an Upper-class English accent. Neither of them were brave enough to respond so they just nodded, their mouths going dry. " And congratulations, Mr. Glitch!" he added, only just noticing the bulge; which wasn't that invisible to begin with!

" Thanks!" he cried in a bigheaded kind of way as he swayed from side to side. Cain smiled slightly at his partner's behaviour but Raw glared right ahead, his eyebrows fixed downward.

" Uh, since I've been away a lot lately, I thought you might wanna meet him!" DG explained. Raw snarled, hissed and bared his razor sharp teeth so subtly that no one noticed.

" There is absolutely no need to be so quiet. I won't bite," the young kind king reassured them.

Then came the question that only Cain could ask. " How's your police force over at Ket?"

" Fine, fine. We have an excellent chief…"

And so the evening dragged on by, which went so painfully slow. King Mabu bored the gang to tears when he talked about his boyhood as a prince and how his stern widowed mother would sit down with him to pray under the moonlight. Cain told him all about the injustice of having Adora taken away and together, they discussed how Mabu would punish Zero and his soldiers. Glitch indulged him on the details of how he came to be in such a condition, though revealed too many of the details! Raw, however, was not keen on conversation and especially with this man. He sat in silence the entire time. He didn't even talk to Kalm at dinner. All he did was stare at DG, fuming with rage and jealousy. By ten o'clock, being pregnant, Glitch decided that he was tired and wanted to go to bed. He requested Cain to come and keep him company. Around this time, Mabu chose it was best for him to leave. He wanted to be home by midnight, he explained. That meant that DG and Raw were left on their own.

" So…" DG said. " What do you think?" she asked hopefully and excitedly.

Raw lowered his eyes, thinking of what he could say without causing offence but he also wanted to be honest. Viewers were very honest creatures. " Uh," he stuttered. His bottom lip quivered nervously. " Very…uh-um…He's nice," he said finally, almost amazed at came out of his mouth.

" Yeah, yeah. I know that! So you like 'im?"

The chronically timid kitten-like lion gave a sharp shake of the head. " Sorry, DG. Raw don't like him."

Letting out a frustrated groan, the queen stamped her foot. It was just like when she was fourteen years old. She had brought home a boyfriend which her adopted mother did not like at all and, unfortunately, it all ended in tears. " Why don't you like 'im? He didn't say anything to ya!"

Subtly, Raw shrugged, hung his head shyly and let his shaggy mane flop over his eyes. " Nice but bad."

" Whaddya mean 'bad'? He's not bad. He's kind and considerate, _and _he's polite!" she cried, her voice getting higher as she became angrier.

" Viewers know these things. Second sight sees wickedness," he explained. DG lowered her sapphire jewelled circles. Raw watched her face fall with disappointment. Obviously, she had been anticipating a better answer. She edged away from her friend but he squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. Digging his claws into the delicate body part, he grinned in the most reassuring way he could muster. He didn't fully understand the concept of humans reassuring their peers but he sensed DG's unhappiness. " It's OK. Don't be sad. If you like him, Raw like him!" he laughed, making DG laugh too.

" I owned polo ponies when I was a boy," Glitch mocked and giggled like a little schoolchild. " There was one I particularly liked. She was named Daisy!" He guffawed so much that he was almost rolling around on the bed.

" Yeah, yeah, yeah. Joke's over now, Glitchers," answered Cain from the bathroom. He spat the bubbles in the sink, grabbed a towel and wiped away the toothpaste from his mouth.

" Oh, c'mon, hon, it's just harmless fun. At any rate, Mabu is an _awful_ man for our girl!" The raggedy old scarecrow swung his legs around and sat up straight, grunting along the way.

" Well, yeah, but it's not nice."

" Says the man who shoved a gun in my face just for entering the van at the Northern Island!" he retorted and scoffed.

Cain popped his blonde head around the door to give his lover a scowl. Who still cared that he threatened him with the pistol? It had been put behind them when they decided to give each other to one another. " Just think a little in the future. You're gonna set a bad example for our kid."

Glitch smiled to himself. Think. If only! As the infant did a somersault of some kind, he massaged the place on his belly where a tiny foot was visibly trying to push through the white skin. " Hey, Cain?" and he received a grunt as a response. " Do you think the baby's going to be like me?"

Cain came through to the bedroom, wearing nothing but boxer shorts, showing off his miraculous torso. " 'Course it will, man. It'll have your DNA, stupid!" he joked.

Glitch's expression stayed serious. " No, I mean, would it…you know…" He gestured to his zipper, indicating his concern for the child's brain function.

Realising what Glitch really meant, Cain gave a long and drawn out, " Oh!" He went to sit on his side of the bed. Smiling somewhat uncertainly at the man beside him, he shook his head slowly and said in a confident voice, " Nah. You weren't born like that, were you? So it isn't hereditary. Don't worry, sweetheart." He patted the bulge lovingly and felt a hand trying to reach out to his. " It'll be fine. You'll see," he added with a grin.

Gently bouncing up and down on the bed with excitement, Glitch snuggled closer to the father of his baby. " You deserve a great big kiss for that! C'mere!" He drifted off to sleep feeling satisfied after that, although there was still the last piece of doubt in his so-called mind.


	12. Raw's Big Secret

The sizzling heat died down quite suddenly one day as the summer came to an end. There was an unsettling chill in the air. The emerald leaves withered away as they began to dry up and fall from the trees. The Ozian people were ecstatic. They welcomed autumn as quickly as they bid farewell to summer. The farmers set off on their very important mission of bringing in the crops. DG was especially proud. Because of her hard work, dedication, negotiation, her subjects would be able to feed their families and keep society going steady. She sat in a chair on the balcony which hovered over the OZ. She could see everything and anything. She grinned, bursting with pride.

" Can you believe I helped thousands of people?" she asked herself in an inaudible voice.

" I can," another voice called. DG jumped. She turned to see her boyfriend standing by the door. " Apologies. I had nothing else to do so I decided to come and see you. I hope I didn't intrude?" he added when he noticed DG's astonished expression.

" Uh, no. I'm just surprised to see you!" The queen stood up, tripped over her dress, and gave the sweet king a warm embrace. Their lips met. " So, baby, what have you been up to?"

Mabu beamed and showed many white teeth in his dark brown gums. " Passed a law, lowered a tax, stop a war. Same old, same old." He shrugged his large shoulders which made him look like some sort of bear. He chuckled. Resting a fat hand on the girl's shoulder, he went on to say, " Would you like to go on a walk?"

DG nodded vigorously, her black curls bouncing, and an undying smile stretched across her cheeks. " Of course I would like to but first, I have to ask Cain to hold down the fort. With Glitch ready to pop recently, it's a bit hectic around here."

" Oh," he said and then smiled. " How is the silly scarecrow nowadays?"

DG scoffed and raised her eyebrows. " Pregnant. 'I'm hot,' 'I'm cold,' 'I'm hungry,' 'My back hurts'!" she shrieked, mocking Glitch's irritating whine. Mabu sniggered and hung his head to prevent himself from having a laughing fit. The beautiful blue eyed queen gave a deep exhale. " Anyway, come on!"

DG took Mabu by the hand. She led him to her friends' bedroom where they both could hear loud rock music thumping through the entire corridor. Giving a Mabu a look of bewilderment, she shrugged. She whirled around and faced the bedroom door that had 'Sir Cain & Sir Glitch's Suite & Baby' carved on it. Glitch had done it himself and temporarily forgot that a new arrival will be coming soon, so Cain had added it later on. DG clenched her small hand into a sturdy fist. She knocked three times, loud and hard. There was a bump which must have silenced the source of the music. There was a fumble at the doorknob. The door swung open to a very flustered Glitch.

Gasping for air, he smiled awkwardly. His pale hands were black with grease. DG put her hands on her hips. " I'm sorry. I-i-i-it's just that I found this old stereo lying around. It wasn't to much use so I thought…" he trailed off, furiously blushing.

Supporting his aching back with a trembling hand, he hung his head in shame as DG continued to glare at him. It was a trick that Cain made up. He discovered that if someone glared at the headcase long enough, he would start to feel bad, hence shutting his trap. Smiling sheepishly, he looked down at the vertical mountain in his abdomen.

" So," he said. " Whatcha doing?" he cried, grinning.

" Can I talk to Cain?"

Glitch's dark eyes darted to the bed where Cain was lying underneath the covers, deeply engrossed in a book. He turned back to his friend and shook his head. " Uh, he's not here."

" Well, tell him to take care of things while I'm out, OK? Remember to tell him?" she instructed, knowing he would forget as soon as he heard it.

He grinned. " Yeah! You kids go have fun, ya hear?" He waved them goodbye before slamming the door shut.

DG couldn't stop herself from giggling. Smiling at Mabu, she told him, " He'll forget!" She knocked on the door again. This time Cain answered. " He forgot?"

" Yeah, I heard."

Out and about, DG could release her inner child. Autumn was something she always enjoyed. As a little girl in Kansas, she would help her parents with the harvest and she would hide in the fields, being caressed by the tall stalks. As they were being blown about in the breeze, she would sit there and watch their every move. When she grew bored of that, she would find something else to do. She would rest her head on the ground and gaze up at the sapphire cloudless sky as she dreamt of a far off place. This particular time of year reminded her of that. It was her favourite memory from the Other Side and she wanted to hang onto it. Laughing like an elated five year old, she fell backwards into a bed of leaves, much to her boyfriend's dismay. She giggled and chortled as she rolled around, feeling the sharp and dry vegetation against her sensitive skin. Her eyes sparkled with delight.

" C'mon, Mabe!" she called. " Forget your rep for a minute and join me. It's fun!"

Mabu wrinkled his nose at the awful pet name that DG had just called him. Shaking his head, he continued to follow the path up the lane.

The queen stood up and frowned. " Party-pooper!" she shouted, stamping her foot, making the leaves crunch. Following the good king like a little lost puppy, she was determined to let Mabu embrace his inner child. " Come on, baby. Try it. There's no harm."

Mabu sighed. He outstretched a flat palm for her to hold as they walked. She did so, and slipped her hand into his, entwining their fingers. Contrasting with his black fingers, DG's pale snow-white fingers stood out, and she noticed this. Was Raw right after all? Were they really not made for each other?

" There is harm when you are royalty, DG. There are people watching. What would they think of us?"

DG looked around and saw a family of peasants. The parents laughed as they watched their children throw leaves at each other. When they spotted their queen waving at them, they waved back with bows and curtsied. DG faced her boyfriend again, giggling and smiling.

" You see they don't care. Enjoy yourself for once!" she firmly told him.

Mabu's sharp brown orbs rolled disapprovingly. Putting his hands in his pockets, he dared not meet the eyes of the peasants. " I'm sorry, but I prefer to have my dignity intact, thank you."

The stubborn monarch was not going to give up without a fight. Menacingly, she glared at him, her azure eyes burning through to his innards. There was no way in hell he was going to resist them. Heaving a weary sigh, he looked around nervously. Tentatively, he took the girl's hand. She grinned, showing her straight and pretty teeth. With his hand tightly in her grasp, she fell backwards into the leaf pile. She began to roll around and guffaw heartily. She threw several leaves at Mabu, which he visibly didn't like. He grimaced and let out a dismayed groan. Slowly, as he observed the sparkle in his girlfriend's eye, he started to get one in his own. He gave a long and gritting honk of a laugh. Soon, the pair plunged into a mass of fun. Mabu dived under the brown pool and waited for DG to pounce on him. He coughed and chuckled as she jumped on him, leaving him winded. But their fun was cut short when DG spotted Raw running toward them. She stood up and brushed dirt and leaves off of her clothes.

" What's the matter?" she asked. " Is it Glitch? He's not due for another ten weeks!" she cried, raising her eyebrows in concern.

Raw shook his orange head from side to side. " Glitch is OK. It's you Raw is worried about. You were gone. Raw got scared!"

DG gave the lion a warm hug and affectionately patted his back. " Oh," she cooed. " I'm sorry I scared you. You came looking for me?"

Raw nodded. " Sensed you were here. Come, it's no use playing with bad person," he answered, gesturing for his close friend to come home with him.

Firmly, she refused. " No. I am staying with 'bad person.' I love him and he loves me. What you said awful and disrespectful. You have totally hurt his feelings, and mine too. I will deal with you later," she warned in a dog-like growl.

" DG…"

" Leave."

" DG…"

" I'm warning you. Go home."

" DG…"

" One more word and you're busted!"

" DG…"

" Go home, Raw!" she shouted.

Raw whimpered pathetically. His supposed friend barked at him like a frenzied animal. Scared, furious and frustrated, he turned on his tail and trotted off to the palace, roaring with pure rage along the way. Kalm's habit of crawling on all fours had rubbed off on his adoptive father. His slightly large backside wiggled in the air as his strong hind legs and arms pumped. DG sighed. She shot an apologetic smile to Mabu, who had been watching in stunned silence the entire time.

" Go after him," he commanded.

" Really?" she croaked. " Are you sure?" The king nodded.

DG raced after her dear friend. She ran fast like the cheetah. " Raw!" she screamed. She was not far behind him. " Raw, come back!"

The seer came into her sight. She saw him stop and turn around. He didn't make eye contact with her. He kept his focus on a stone that looked like a question mark. DG lowered her eyebrows into a frown of confusion. She approached her friend. Folding her arms, she looked up at him, her eyes darting from right to left. Raw did and said nothing. He just kept staring at the stone, wondering what to do. That measly little stone gave an answer, if it was the correct one, Raw did not know. For once his power waned and withered away to nothing. DG, concerned for him, rested her hand on his chest. She felt his racing heart throb underneath her fingers. Raw hung his head. He gazed down at the beautiful hand. She had rather feminine, delicate, porcelain-like hands, he thought, just like her mother. A shy smile spread across his hairy orange face.

" What's up?" riddled DG.

Releasing a deep sigh, Raw told her exactly what was up. " Raw…" He paused to gulp. " Uh, Raw…like you."

Not quite understanding him, she gave him what she thought was a safe answer. " I like you too, Raw."

" No! Raw…like you. Raw like you a lot!"

Then it hit her. The queen gasped in horror and disgust. Clapping a hand to her mouth, she couldn't help but yelp in surprise. Raw watched on with a grimace. " Wait, are you jealous of Mabu?" The lion nodded. DG laughed. " Aww, honey, c'mere!" They embraced. " That's why you wanted me to break up with him." Raw grunted. " Well, you were right all along. I cannot stand a man who is afraid to have fun." She walked back to where Mabu was still brushing the leaves off of his clothes. " King. We have to talk. Look, this isn't working out. I think it's best if you go back to Ket."

The king sighed and nodded. " You're right," he admitted. " As Mother used to say, 'Never date an Ozian. They're nothing but trouble.'"

" Right…" she croaked slowly. Her now ex-boyfriend walked away and when he was finally out of earshot, she mumbled to herself, " Jerk."

Raw appeared. Grinning, he held out his paw. DG took it immediately, her smile matching her dear friend's. Together, they made their way to the palace with serene smirks on their faces.


	13. You Can't Take Cain

**Even though this has nothing to do with the story, this particular chapter was inspired by the Bryan Adams song, You Can't Take Me, from the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron movie. I love Bryan Adams. I love the song. I love Spirit. I love Tin Man, and there was _no way_ I wasn't going to write this.**

Cain had worked tremendously hard for this day. He had built the ramps with own his skilled bare hands. With Raw's help, he had set them all up in a line in the palace gardens. He had practised for hours on end and had endured every injury that you can possibly imagine. He wasn't going to give up now. Not even the bitter cold wind was going to stop him from putting on the performance. Luckily, that day was surprisingly warm. The gods, if there were such beings, were smiling down on him. His friends cheered him on as he came whizzing around the corner on his motorcycle. The rickety old vehicle revved furiously. It seemed scream and bellow as Cain pushed it to the limit.

" Yeah! Come on!" whooped DG, frantically waving her arms in the air.

Cain waved back, which made Glitch groaned with concern. " I'm not too sure about this…" he squeaked. His face was puffy and swollen. His back ached so much that he could hardly bear the pain. Massaging his full round belly, he watched worriedly on. DG moaned silently and shot a worried glance over to Raw. " He's gonna get hurt, I know it."

Cain replaced his notorious cowboy hat with a crash helmet. He winked at Glitch as he tossed him the hat. Glitch caught it, gasping in surprise. Clearing his head of all thoughts, the Tin Man focussed on the task ahead. Never daring to blink, he observed the first ramp. Every single dent and loose nail, he knew it was there. His heart palpitating, his fingers tingling, his breathing intensifying, he prepared himself for the wave he was going to ride. He shut his ears off to the ambient sounds of the garden and finally the motorcycle exploded off the path. His world was plunged into brain-rattling noise as the ramp grew closer. Anticipating the jump, he yelled with all his might, cheering and hollering. Glitch watched him with a sick feeling in his stomach. Just as Cain made the jump, it felt as though the baby leapt along with him as if it was watching him too. The motorcyclist made the next ramp, and the next and the next! The adrenaline pumping through his veins, he stopped abruptly on the lawn. He removed the helmet and dismounted his faithful bike. He was so dizzy that he collapsed right there on the spot.

" Cain!" screamed Glitch. " Help him!" he pleaded his queen.

DG dashed towards him and knelt down beside him. He lay unconscious on the grass with his yellow head in the dirt and arms outstretched. The others approached with worry in their eyes. Raw whimpered. Glitch said nothing. There was a soft, pained moan. Cain's arm twitched. He began to stir and after a few seconds, he was fully awake. He sat up and laughed goofily. His worn and exhausted face lit up – something it rarely did.

" That was the best ride I have ever had," he panted.

DG smiled. He was OK. " Can I have a go now, Cain?"

" Sure."


	14. Strictly Comes Baby

**I am very happy to announce that Thomas Beatie, the main inspiration for this story, is pregnant for the third time. I am a very big "fan" of his! Congratulations to him and his family OXXO**

" That was really selfish what you did earlier!" Glitch scolded his partner later that afternoon.

" What? Sweetheart, it wasn't selfish. I was just having a bit of fun," Cain cried as he flicked through a magazine that was specifically aimed at Tin Men.

" You could've gotten hurt and you know it," Glitch snapped.

Cain shrugged his broad shoulders and continued to read an article about the different ranks in the police force. " I just wanted to have fun, that's all. Since you got preg-"

" Don't bring little one into this. What, you think getting pregnant was my idea?" the headcase scoffed. " Might I remind you, YOU WERE THERE TOO?!"

" No. It wasn't your fault, neither was mine. It's just that…" the middle-aged man sighed. He tossed the magazine aside. " Forget it."

" What? Forget what?" he asked.

With a sigh, he sat up. He didn't utter a syllable. He didn't need to. All what he needed to say was in his eyes of cerulean. The fear was burning through them like fire and Glitch saw it. The ragdoll-like man sat on the end of the bed. Catching a glimpse of the unavoidable bump, he realised his own fear.

He reached over, with slight difficulty, to pat his boyfriend's hand. " I understand," he said. " You're scared."

" You don't know that!" He looked away for a moment. A short intimate silence followed. Cain kissed Glitch passionately, tongues and all. Finally, he spoke again. " Jeez, we're a depressing bunch!" he admitted and Glitch could only laugh.

" You know what, I've been thinkin' about something," he piped up.

" Hmm…What's that?"

" Because I'm so brilliantly light on my feet, I might give little one here some dancing lessons."

Cain snorted with laughter. His mind was cast back to that sunny afternoon when Glitch showed off his amazing ability. Before then, he was not at all happy about being stuck with him. But after, he felt incredibly attracted to that brainless, childish, naïve, corn-eating, butt-kicking scarecrow. What an adventure that was!

" Right now!" a shrill voice blurted out, causing Cain's head to crash down to the ground.

" W-what? Whaddya mean 'right now'?"

" I will start the lessons right now."

" But, Glitchers, it can't dance. It's not even born yet!"

" All the more reason to get started. The earlier, the better!" he cried, a glitchy grin spreading across his pale face.

As he scampered off to the ballroom, Cain groaned in dismay. " This can't end well," he grumbled to himself under his breath.

The ballroom was a large and ancient room. It had not been used since Lavender Eyes faked DG's death. The chandelier of Moritanium hung overhead, dim in the darkness. The marble floor had collected a quantity of dirt and grime and dust. Glitch felt very frightened, but the memories of the place tried to stay with him. Staring at the portrait of the former queen and her husband, a chill trickled down his spine. On the dance floor, he envisioned hundreds of couples dancing together. He smiled at the rare memory. He remembered that night. That was the last time he saw DG as a plucky five year old child. When Cain came clomping up behind him, the dancing memory vanished and he was back in the present, not the same man he was years ago. Cain raised his eyebrows with an annoyed expression on his face.

" You can sit over there, where I can keep an eye on you," Glitch joked. He gave a harmless snide giggle.

Sighing, the cowboy did as he was told. He pulled up a web-covered chair and plopped his backside in it. " You mean where _I _can keep an eye on _you_?" he muttered, removing his hat.

" I'll be fine!" But he was eager to get his lesson started. " Come, little one, let me show you basics," he cried cheerfully. " There isn't much to it. All you have to remember is, rhythm! If you dance with a rhythm, you're laughing."

From the sidelines, a hearty chuckle passed Cain's lips. It was so much fun to watch Glitch make a fool out of himself, even though he never admitted it. The ex-police officer watched the man like a hawk, hoping he would not get hurt.

" So, like this," he continued. Humming tunelessly, he rhythmically tapped his feet on the floor. Grinning, he mumbled, " And give a little kick! Ouch! Not literally, honey! Yeah, like this. Throw your arms in the air and…"

" Glitch, this is getting ridiculous." Cain stood up to leave.

" But, sweetie, I'm going to start the waltz in a minute. I can't do it without a partner."

As the pregnant headcase gave a suggestive smile, Cain couldn't resist. Since he wasn't much of a dancer, he tentatively edged towards the soft touch of his boyfriend's hand. Glitch grunted in appreciation as he clasped the cop's hand in his. Their bodies came so close that they touched. Nervously, Cain looked at the bridge between them – the baby, _their _baby. A small smile formed in the corner of his mouth and Glitch followed suit. Gently, the dancing teacher stepped to the side and prompted Cain to do the same. They formed little squares on the floor as they gazed into each other's eyes. After a few minutes, Cain rested his head on Glitch's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his waist, massaging his sore back for him. The two of them felt so relaxed and at peace that they could have fallen asleep. Suddenly, Glitch moaned in agony.

" Babe, are you all right?" asked Cain, the concern bursting through his voice.

" Gosh, it hurts!" he grunted, vigorously rubbing his back.

" Is-is it the baby?" and he received a nod as a response. " Come on, sit down." Cain escorted him to the chair that he was sitting on. " Are you OK? Do you think you're in labour?" he asked, feeling panicky.

Glitch looked at his partner in the eye and grimaced. He shook his head. " No, it's passing now."

" Well, my mind still isn't at rest. You're getting close to your due date, so we'd better get prepared, OK? Come on, no more dancing for you, mate."

**Sorry this chapter is a bit rubbish. After writing a lot about DG/Raw, it kind of threw me off the whole baby thing. But as you can see, as I continued to write, I eased back into it. Dip my toe into the water, so to speak.**


	15. Names

**Aww, man! I knew this would be Chapter 15! Anyway, this is the extract I sent to MR. ALAN CUMMING, via the _Ask Alan_ section of his website. He read it and liked it! So Glitch HIMSELF is approving of my story!!! *squee***

With an upturned smile, Glitch frowned in concentration. The lines in his forehead deepened, which made him look a lot older than he really was. His fatigued circles of charcoal scanned the many baby books that were strewn across the desk in his old laboratory. Running his finger down countless pages, he ticked the names that he particularly liked. Though intrigued in the baby's life, Cain was not as eager to pick a name. Instead, he had found entertainment in throwing a tiny red rubber ball against the wall and catching it in his fists.

" Hey, Cain," Glitch piped up cheerfully as he massaged the bump. The infant was kicking and punching its comforting cage for the umpteenth time. " What you do think about Mordom?"

The ball bounced off of the wall and flew past Cain's kneecap as he missed it, almost terrified of what had just slipped out of Glitch's mouth. " Mordom?!" he exclaimed. " No kid of mine's gonna have a stupid name like Mordom!"

" Hey! I like it. Besides, the scientist who successfully bred the Mobats was named Mordom. It's a great honour to be named after a scientist."

" OK, if you say so," the former police officer muttered under his breath. He picked up the ball and continued his game.

Glitch searched the page again and found another name. " Well, what about Raid? That's a pretty cool name." Cain shook his head disapprovingly. Raid was worse than Mordom! Glitch rolled his eyes. They never agreed on anything. " Cadba?" Cain shook his head again and this charade continued as his partner read out more horrible names. " You've got to like Blizz! Or Rollio? Kiki? Jeni? Orlyn? Well, personally, I like what I call it now – Little One. OK…What about Ig?"

" Ig?" Cain riddled. " Ig? Why Ig?"

" Raw suggested it," said Glitch in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. Knocking back his blonde head, Cain chuckled a cruel but teasing chuckle. " All right, tough guy. What do you suggest for our child?"

" Adora if it's a girl. Li if it's a boy," he answered, almost immediately.

The baby gave another hard kick which made its father grimace in pain and frown in confusion. " Why Li?"

Sighing heavily, Cain told the depressingly sorrowful tale. " Li was my brother-"

Glitch raised his eyebrows in surprise and shrieked, " I didn't know you had a brother!"

" Shuddup and lemme tell you! When we were kids, we went swimming in the lake nearby where we lived. I nearly drowned there. Li saved my life but unfortunately, couldn't save his own."

Glitch lowered his exhausted eyes in sadness and rested a hand on top of the curve. After a short feeling of grief, he shook his head. " No. If I were to name the baby after a family member, it would be after one of my parents – Jonah and Violinia. They worked so hard to get me into St. Dorothy's School For The Gifted. It's the least I can do to honour them. Plus, that's what they wanted if I ever had children."

Cain rolled his eyes. " Look, we might as well face it. We'll never agree this way!"

" What do you suggest?" a hesitant Glitch asked.

" Once you squeeze that sucker out, it'll choose its own name," the Tin Man cried in a sarcastic tone. He proceeded to say the serious answer, " We'll name it when it's born. If we choose the name now, we might not like it in a month and a half."

" I suppose you're right," said Glitch, heaving a sigh and dropping the fountain pen onto the table.

**Is it just me or did anyone else have a crush on Alan when they were seven/eight/nine/ten years old? I did! :) Oh, and by the way, Orlyn came from a little girl who used to go to the nursery I used to work at. I really liked her name and it always stuck with me. Jeni came from the Korean film Jeni, Juno.**


	16. 29th November

Glitch was feeling particularly ill that morning. He had a nauseous feeling in his stomach and it felt as though he was about to be sick at any moment. As an experienced father, Cain advised him to stay in bed. He brought him a small plate of dry toast and a glass of water. Glitch ate his pathetic breakfast tentatively as Cain tried to keep his mind off it by striking up an intriguing conversation. After that, he began to feel better, but there was still a small piece, lingering about. He decided to take it easy that day. He had a stroll outside, read the next chapter of his book and watched some boring daytime television. It was just one of those lazy days until lunchtime was called. For the others, it was a good time to chat and laugh and socialise, but Glitch still didn't feel quite right. He picked at his food and sighed miserably.

" Glitch, are you OK?" asked DG. She looked deep into his shining black eyes worriedly. There was no reply. " Glitch, as your queen, I command you to tell me what's the matter!" she snapped.

" I'm sorry. I'm sorry. My mind has been distracted lately. It feels as though I'm forgetting something," he muttered, picking up a green bean with his fingers and dropping it back on the plate again.

" What is it?" she answered.

Glitch frowned with all his might as he tried to remember why that date was so important. Deep inside his inventive brain, the tiny little workers worked extraordinarily hard to get those caged memories unlocked. The others watched with bated breath. Silently, they encouraged him. They wanted so desperately for him to remember! Spinning and spinning his head went. Parties, dances, food, laughter, gifts. Wedding anniversary? No, he wasn't married. Hanukkah? No, he wasn't religious. Cinco de Mayo? No, he wasn't Mexican. No, no, wait…

" It's my birthday today!" he cried in astonishment. " Today is the day my mother gave birth to me. November 29th. Who'd thunk it? Huh," he added, amazed. He didn't even realise he had a birthday.

" Oh, my," Cain said.

" Never mind. There's always next year," he replied, somewhat disappointed. But DG's ice blue orbs glistened eerily as if she had just formulated a plan.

" Glitch!" Raw hissed that evening. " Psst!"

Glitch, who had been sleeping at the desk in his laboratory, snorted and lifted his head. Confused, he ran a finger down his zipper, just like what he always did when he first woke up. He looked around to see who spoke. He frowned when he spotted the strange lion-like man with the shaggy mane and beard. He seemed awfully familiar too. Glitch's eyebrows twitched and he opened his mouth to say something. But it came crashing down on him. It was Raw, one of his closest friends! He smiled warmly but it was interrupted by a long yawn. Raw masked a chuckle as his friend stretched his arms.

" What did you want?" he asked.

" Um…Big, uh, come and see!" the Viewer cried and smiled.

The two flew down the stairs to the ballroom where Glitch tried to teach the infant how to dance. He was confused. The ballroom wasn't being used anymore, except for storage.

" But the ballroom isn't being used anymore, except for storage," he pointed out.

" You'll see," Raw said, slyly nodding his head.

When Raw opened the door, Glitch gasped at what he saw. The floor had been swept clean. It sparkled and twinkled under the magical burning of the beautiful emerald chandelier. The portraits that hung on the walls had been freed of cobwebs and grime. Like water, many memories came flooding back to the headcase. His handsome charcoal eyes filled with tears as he studied the faces of each of the guests.

" Surprise! Surprise! Happy birthday!" they all chorused in unison.

He stood there, stunned speechless. He saw DG grin at him. She had done this in one afternoon. That thought alone made him furiously blush. " Oh, guys… I don't know if I should cry or wet myself." There was a Mexican wave of laughter. " Too late."

" C'mon, sweetcheeks," Cain said, separating himself from the small crowd. " Join the party!" And with that, he picked up a violin and struck an upbeat melody. " Dance the do-si-do, y'all!" he hollered.

The guests partnered up with one another and began to dance the dance of Cain's people. Thirteen year old Kalm laughed harmoniously with the pretty, young Kiz. Raw awkwardly muttered to himself as he tried to step in time with the Queen. The maid, Tatiana, span around in circles with the chef, Markus. The modest Tutor danced with the young gardener boy, Danio. But the guest of honour had no one to dance with. Even though Cain was fiddling away on the instrument, the instructions that left him rang in his ears. Glumly, he acquainted himself with the table that had food on it. He stuffed a scotch egg into his mouth and savoured every bite. As he picked up a poisonous kikiberry, the doors swung open to two more arrivals.

" Lavender! Oh, my dear Lavender Eyes!" he shrieked. He waddled as fast he could to embrace his first best friend.

" Yes, my darling. DG's Light brought us here," she answered. " Oh, goodness! You are big, aren't you?" she exclaimed as the bump nudged her.

" How did it happen?" asked Ahamo.

" Well, sir, when you love someone very much, you-"

" I know that part!" the ex-king consort chortled.

Lavender Eyes smiled at her two favourite men and touched both of their arms lovingly. Then she heard the music. How wonderful it was. " Ambrose, would you care for a dance?" Her former advisor nodded.

The lovely monarch took the man by the hand. Ignoring Cain's nag, Glitch gingerly stepped to the music and gradually grew more confident. He began to whoop and cry out with excitement. Lavender Eyes was powerless to resist his boyish charm. She let her husband watch her drape her long, silky arms over someone else. She guffawed with so much happiness. DG looked over her shoulder. She sniggered at what she saw. Seeing her mother with Glitch was a magnificent reminder of the peace that once filled the land. Cain grinned when he spotted them. Despite the fact he didn't feel it was best for Glitch to dance in such a condition, he was satisfied to finally see him have a fun time.

After the gift giving, it was for Glitch to reveal his new age. Everyone leant in close, anxiously awaiting the answer. Glitch eyed them all, completely baffled. That morning, he could barely remember his birthday, let alone his age. Frowning in thought, he stared into Lavender Eyes' shining beautiful and magical purple eyes. He hoped seeing someone from his past would help him. He wasn't ten. He remembered his birthday party at St. Dorothy's. He wasn't thirteen because that was when he met the Princess Lavender Eyes for the first time, and he wasn't twenty seven. With a sigh, he gave an honest answer.

" I can't remember," he shrugged sadly.

Raw lowered his eyes, disappointed. He knew how old he was, but he was too shy to say anything. DG whispered something in his ear and he replied. She stood up and moved closer to her mother.

" Mom, you must know!" she cried.

" Well, he's always been three years younger than me. That's the only clue I'm giving you, darling. I'm sorry but you have to learn to think for yourself," she said to Glitch.

He nodded to indicate that he understood. He went back to his thoughts but nothing came to him. When he didn't say anything, DG smiled when she arrived at the answer.

" It's OK, I know how old you are." She gave her parents a sly wink.

**I know how old Glitch is ;) If anyone is DYING to know, they can PM me :P**


	17. Cainian Sleep

**The chapter title refers to the Frasier episode _Fraudian Sleep _where Frasier analyses the nightmare that he has. I really like that episode, therefore inspired this! I'm really beginning to lose inspiration with this story, so I might take a break.**

" That was a great party, Cain," Glitch cried when he was getting ready for bed. He beamed. " Thanks."

" No problem," he replied, snuggling down, warm and safe in his bed.

" I never knew you played the violin!"

" Yeah, well, there's a load of stuff you don't know about me," he mumbled. " Come on, climb into bed. You've had a long day and you need your rest. Come on," he added.

Glitch coyly grinned and clambered underneath the duvet. Cain wrapped his arms around him. The lopsided scarecrow closed his eyes and released a soft sigh. Cain pressed lips against his forehead and rested a hand on the large bump. Sighing, he settled down for the night. As he listened to Glitch's gritting snores, he closed his own eyes.

It was dark in this place. There were no floors or walls. There was nothing at all. It was just dense blackness. Confused, Cain blinked several times, hoping it would go away. It didn't. It just stayed, smothering the cowboy's eyes as if a great hand was pressing down on them. He looked down and suddenly realised he had the ability to walk. He walked slowly, dragging his heavy feet behind him. There was a cool breeze. The wind was pure white and it flowed over him like water. As he walked, he felt weightless. It felt as though he was floating through the air. He listened to the eerie whispers of ghosts. It grew louder and louder until it was a whisper no more. It was a cry. It was a baby's cry. _The _baby's cry. Then who should appear but…

" Adora!" shrieked Cain in shock, surprised he was able to talk.

" Wyatt!" she sang. " Wyatt!"

Cain's jaw dropped. Adora beamed a beautiful toothy grin. Slowly and gingerly, he approached her. He outstretched his arms to reach out to her. With an unsettling laugh, she ran off, still calling the name of her beloved husband.

" Wyatt! Wyatt! Wyatt!" she chanted as she ran. " Wyatt!"

" Adora! Adora! Adora!" he chanted as he chased after her. " Adora!"

Adora kept running and giggling, Cain kept chasing her, hoping he would catch her. But suddenly, she stopped. She turned, staring at her husband in the eye. She wore a wicked smile and a malicious glint glimmered in her pretty brown eyes. Confused, Cain stopped in his tracks, frozen to the spot. The baby's screams echoed in his head, making it impossible to bear it. The simple farmwoman bent over and picked up a Moses basket that contained the tiny, wailing infant.

" What're you doing? Give it back!" he cried, throwing out his arms.

" Wyatt," she snarled.

As if by magic, a sudden fire burst out, setting the dark place ablaze. The cowboy-cop panicked. He looked around and was blinded by the red and yellow terrifying flames. He looked back to his wife, the fear overflowing his azure orbs. As he glared at her evil expression, it clicked. He knew what she was planning to do to that poor child. He didn't know how, but he was going to stop her.

" Baby, put that kid down. It doesn't belong to you."

" WYATT!"

The basket was thrown into the orange flames. The screams became distorted and horrifying as Adora's cackles rang out. A frightened scream was released from Cain's lungs. " NO!"

" Cain! Wake up!"

" NO!"

" Wake up! Wake up, doll!" Glitch's voice jolted him out of his nightmare. " Cain," the scarecrow said and smiled as Cain's eyes fluttered open.

Heart pounding, forehead soaking, Cain trembled violently. Panting heavily, he sat up. Without any warning at all, he burst into tears. He wrapped his arms around Glitch's belly, kissing it repeatedly. Gently making circular motions with his finger, he felt the baby give an almighty kick. He grinned at Glitch, who returned it.

" Still in there," he mumbled, massaging the heaving bump.

" Yeah. Still there," Glitch replied, nodding and smiling, suddenly realising what the dream could have been about.

Later, at breakfast time, Cain told the others all about his strange nightmare. DG and Raw look at one another in dismay and horror and confusion.

" You mean, Adora was snatching your baby away?" DG asked.

" I don't…I dunno," Cain shrugged. " I don't know if it was my kid. It was just a baby, screaming its head off."

" He woke up rather shaken. What could it mean?" Glitch chimed in.

" It's obvious, isn't it?" said DG. " Well, you're gonna be a dad soon. You are scared about it coming."

" But that doesn't explain why Adora was there," Cain replied, frowning in thought.

DG eyed Raw suspiciously, who had a thoughtful expression on his hairy orange face. Scratching his beard, he tried to see what could be bothering his chivalrous protector. He blinked, coming back to the OZ. " You think Adora is mad for…" he trailed off, blushing with embarrassment.

" …For moving on," DG guessed. " Cain, you have nothing to worry about. Adora would be proud. I bet she was the one who got you two together in the first place!" she beamed.

Cain chuckled and hugged Glitch. " Bet she did!" he muttered.

" Yeah. She's our guardian angel!" Glitch joked.


	18. Ozmas Doubt

**Sorry for that _LONG_ break. OK, I lost inspiration, started writing other stories, but now I'm back! Enjoyz!**

As Glitch's pregnancy was drawing to a close, the presence of Ozmas exploded everywhere in the Outer Zone. The magical silvery-white snowflakes wept from the skies, which blanketed the green grass and froze the lakes in Finaqua. The roads were blocked, so everyone had to walk, which made them feel fresh and euphoric. Everyone was excited to celebrate the birth of the wizard who had created this wonderful land. The decorations of stars, angels and the magical Light were being hung. The green Ozmas trees were being cut down and made up prettily with baubles of all different sizes and colours. The fanatics were fantasising about the magic and wonder that this holiday brought to the Ozians. But there was just one present Glitch wanted, and there was no need to say that all he wanted was the infant. It had decided it liked the warmth and security of his impossible womb and decided it was going to stay there.

" Don't worry, Glitch. It'll be born soon," DG said to him on Ozmas morning. Cain nodded in agreement, so did Raw.

" Next few days," Raw told him, shivering. " Be patient. She will come."

Glitch scoffed silently. He stared out of the window, looking down on the white world, hoping this story would have a happy ending. Nervously fiddling with his zipper, he gave a tiny false smile. " Ya think? My due date's past, and considering my gender…" he sighed, trailing off. " What if I'm stuck like this forever?"

" It'll be fine!" Cain insisted. " If Raw says it's gonna come, it's gonna come." But the doubt was locked, twisted, in the pit of Glitch's stomach.


	19. 29th December

For the next several days as Glitch waited, the doubt only grew until it was an uncomfortable mass lodged in his stomach. His concerned friends observed his mutterings as he paced up and down the palace rooms. They wanted so desperately to comfort and to help him but he pushed them away. On the afternoon of the fourth day, his prayers were finally answered after nine long months of waiting. Cain was taking his daily siesta. He was snoozing, curled up on the double bed like a majestic feline. Glitch sat at the vanity table, gazing at his swollen belly in the mirror and smiling longingly, then came a pain so much more agonising than usual kicks. A sharp electric shock rippled throughout his body. He moaned. Then the sound of gushing water followed as he wriggled and squirmed in his seat.

" Cain!" he hissed. " Cain, I think the baby's gonna come." Cain did not stir. Softly, he grunted and rolled over to his other side. " Cain! Cain! Cain? Cain, wake up! Wakey-wakey, hon! I need you!" Glitch's voice shook as he began to panic. " WYATT CAIN!" he boomed, awakening the Tin Man successfully.

Cain forced his eyes open and looked around with an astonished expression on his face, so surprised that someone dared to use his first name. He sat up, looked at Glitch and spotted the puddle of amniotic liquid on the floor and frankly lost it. He jumped up and leapt off the bed to hold his boyfriend's hand. Breathing heavily, he could barely articulate his words. After a moment of stammering and spluttering, he cried, " What do you want? Are you OK? Uh, uh, um…PUSH!"

Glitch could not reply, even if he wanted to. He grunted and bellowed and fell to the floor in a heap. He groaned and wriggled and writhed in agony as the contractions intensified. Cain was white as a sheet by now, and sweated profusely like an overweight donkey on a hot summer's day. Even though he was quaking so violently that he could barely keep his hands still, he gripped onto Glitch's as tight as he could. After Glitch had curled up into a ball, he began to scream as loud as his lungs would allow. Cain grimaced. Since watching his family being tortured over and over, seeing others in discomfort was something he wished to avoid.

" Wouldn't you be more comfortable on the bed?" he asked, suddenly feeling faint.

Glitch responded with a piercing, high-pitched scream. A few contractions later, he rose to his hands and feet. To both his and Cain's horror, he strained as the urge to push overwhelmed him. " Oh, Cain, what am I gonna do? Where's it gonna come out? I'm a guy for goodness' sakes!" he murmured.

All of a sudden, DG and Raw appeared by the door, looking worried and excited. DG beamed and her eyes lit up like stars. " You were right, Raw!" she said. She rushed over to her friend's aid.

" I gotta push! I…Argh! Ohh…"

The queen's ice blue orbs widened and shimmered, her mouth gaping open slightly. She shot a dumbfounded glance at Cain, who was just as dumbfounded.

" Same way as conception," Raw piped up, who was still standing by the door, shyly shuffling his feet.

" Same way as conception," Tin Man repeated. " What-What is that supposed to mean?"

" Ambrose," Glitch mumbled so quietly that no one heard him.

" What?" asked DG.

" Ambrose. He told me that when the infant was conceived, I somehow forgot that I was a…uh, you know!" he trailed off, only to be interrupted by a vigorous kick.

" A man?" Cain guessed and his boyfriend nodded.

" That's what you gotta do then!" DG cried. " You gotta forget."

Glitch nodded again. He moved slightly to make himself as comfortable as possible. His arms shook as he tried to carry the weight. His curly black hair, now soaked in sweat, hung over his pink and sweaty face. He began to tell himself a lie, " I'm a girl. I'm a girl. I am a girl."

As Cain massaged his back, he gave a small smile that was swamped in nervousness. " Yeah…You're a girl," he squeaked.

" How're you holding up?" DG asked Glitch.

He moaned. " I've gotta push real bad!"

The queen gave a nod of her head. " OK. I'm just going to take off your pants, all right?" She did just that and they all received a shock. " Wait, is that…?"

" Head!" Raw cried in horror.

" Oh, that ain't right!" Cain shrieked and he fainted, crashing hard on the floor. He woke up a second later, dazed and disorientated.

" Are you all right, Cain?" DG said. Cain nodded slowly and gulped. " OK. I'll go and call the doctor. Raw, c'mon!"

With the others gone, Cain felt he could relax. " Sorry about that, sweetheart. Jeez. I haven't passed out like that since…since Jeb was born."

Glitch smiled. " You're like a Tootsie Pop. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside," he muttered in between breaths.

Then as he approached another agonising contraction, the urge to push was getting too great. Cain was massaged his back again and he was readying himself for the biggest physical challenge that he had ever encountered. Pressing his nails into the floor, he clenched his teeth as he gave all of his strength to a tremendous push. As though his organs were being shifted, it felt like he was about to be sick but he had to keep pushing. After a moment or two, he stopped to rest.

Cain smiled. " You're doing great. Hang in there, babe."

" It's nearly out. I can feel it."

" Yeah. Well, I can see it." The Tin Man grimaced and closed his eyes for a second. After fainting, he still felt rather sick. Trying not to check on Glitch's progress, he stroked his cheek and brushed the hair out of his eyes for him. " All right. You have to really hard now. Ya think you can do that?" he murmured softly.

Glitch moaned and yelled. He pushed again, breathing heavily and roaring in pain, he scrunched his face up as the baby completed its journey from the womb to the outside world. It slipped out into Cain's outstretched arms. Thirty seconds later, just when the little girl started to bawl, Glitch – who looked as though he had been gone through hell and back – heaved a deep sigh of relief. Still on all fours, he turned his head to face Cain.

" Cain, promise me you won't do this to me again."

The police officer grinned. Quickly, he pulled off one of his shoes and with a flash, he removed the lace. In his large, strong, bear-like hands, he gently tied it around the umbilical cord so his daughter would be free from Glitch's body. He looked around the room to find something that would keep her warm. His beautiful sapphire orbs landed on the chair by the vanity table. There laid Glitch's jacket. Perfect. With Baby Cain in his arms, he slunk over, picked it up and wrapped it around her. Glitch, weak and tired from the birth, grinned his signature toothy grin. He tried to stand but he was too exhausted. Instead, he collapsed.

The cowboy wannabe caressed the baby's soft cheek – despite being covered in sticky gunk. He felt tears stream down his own. Gently rocking the infant back and forth, his mind was cast back to all those moments were he doubted his skills as a parent. None of that mattered anymore. Sure he hadn't been a good parent since Jeb's childhood. This was a fresh start. He was going to make mistakes but he would soon learn from them, and that would make him a better parent in the long run. Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor outside as Raw and DG returned with the doctor.

" Oh," he said when he spotted the proud father cradling the tiny infant. " Was everything all right? No problems at all?"

" Yeah, we're good," mumbled Cain, his unearthly ice blue eyes never leaving his daughter's.

" OK. Let me just clean her up," the doctor replied and he took the baby away from her father to be washed.

" Be careful with her."

Raw smiled. " Cain did good."

DG cooed and rested her head on his furry shoulder. " How was it for you, Glitchers?"

" Hell. Trust me, DG, don't have kids! Ever!" he grumbled, his voice muffled from lying on the floor.

The young girl laughed and her eyes sparkled when they met Raw's. " Let's get you up onto the bed. Raw, help me." They took each arm and half carried him to the bed. They smothered him with the duvet and fluffed up the pillows to make sure he was properly taken care of. " The doctor will want to have a look at you. That OK?" Glitch nodded and moved slightly to be more comfortable. " Yeah. Get some rest now. You need it after what you've just been through!"


	20. The End

When Glitch had slept and rested his weary body, he felt stronger and happy. He slipped out of bed and sneaked to the baby's nursery. As he entered the room, a wide grin spread across his face. Everything was laid out; the mountain of toys and comfort objects, the changing table in the corner, the wardrobe filled with pretty outfits, the rocking chair for long sleepless nights. He and Cain had so much fun purchasing these things and decorating the nursery. Now it was all over. The kid was finally here, sleeping soundly in the cot. Glitch admired her as he hovered over her. Her black hair was short and thin, but he knew she would one day grow his wild, straggly curls. She made a soft, quiet noise. Glitch smiled and stroked her cheek.

He had gone through a lot with her; the time when there was a chance he might have lost her, when he absentmindedly tried to teach her to dance and then finally, the agonising and terrifying birth. In his scattered brain, he began to think of all the things that they were yet to go through; first word, first step, first day of school, first boyfriend! He grinned again as a bad attempt to cover the tears of joy that were streaming down his cheeks. She was his own breathtaking beauty. Suddenly, a hand squeezed his shoulder which startled him. It was Cain, who had come to give her her first bottle feed.

" Oh, hey."

" Hi," the scarecrow whispered.

" How is she doing?" the Tin Man whispered back.

" Beautifully. She's so precious!"

" Yeah. Jeb was never this cute when he was a baby."

Glitch bit his lip. " Don't keep comparing her to Jeb, hon. She's going to be a lot different from him."

Cain scoffed. " Yeah, I suppose," he muttered, thinking of his son in the perilous wood with his tiny army of resistors. " Let's not think about him right now."

" Mm-hmm. Just us three. Our family."

Glitch slid his hand into Cain's and kissed him softly. A small smile spread across Cain's face and his eyes sparkled in the dim light. He wrapped his arms around his loving boyfriend and began to sway. He kissed him on the forehead and Glitch locked his head in Cain's shoulder. Together, they looked over their child and promised her that they would keep her from harm. Gradually, a thought fought its way into Glitch's nonexistent brain.

" Hey! She doesn't have a name. Aww, my little angel."

Cain frowned in thought and came out with, " What about Adora?"

" No! We are not naming her after your wife! And we're certainly not naming her after your _brother!_" the inventor cried, forgetting that the baby could wake up at any moment.

" Nor after your mother. Violinia – seriously?" After a second or two, something went click in Cain's head. " What about Deborah?"

Glitch considered it. " Nah…How about a compromise? We can name her Debi."

" Debi. Debi Cain. I love it!" he laughed.

" So that's settled. Our daughter…that we conceived together…will be known by the name, Debi Cain!" Glitch announced grandly and guffawed heartily and consequently banging his head on the railings of the cot.

" Debs, if you take after him, I'll disown ya!" Cain joked.

**The End. I hope you enjoyed it!**


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